A talented star cast completely wasted (not for the first time), by a silly plot and far below standard execution of it.
It has Donald O'Connor, with two teenagers Pgyy Ryan and Ann Blyth forming a semi-bigamist triangle. Of these two female leads of course I don't put much value on. Peggy I haven't seen much of screen time, so I can't really talk about her, Ann, I have seen a few, and neither, in the allocated screen, has shown much talent. Donald of course is in other circle, his antics are quite charming. The major wasted talents were the two Helens (Vinson and Brodrerick) as Gloria I and II, the mother and the Grandmother. Of course none of them looked old enough to be of that relation, but I would overlook it, since they could have been just that (real age then was 37 and 53, so allowing for child marriages, they could have just made it).
But let me rein my horse a bit. The Grand mother was in love with Mad Michael Corrigan, and he escaped. Naturally the hearl broken Glory I wasn't, or may be she did, marry on rebound, but that, considering she was already a Broadway actress then when Michael breached the promise and engagement, couldn't have been too young. In that circumstances, the relation would be just too bad, and the daughter naturally would be sufficiently brainwashed to be attentive to the pursuit of the enemy's son, Judd (Corrigan). Even if he finally succeeded to breach the wall and then finally breach the promise (he too followed suit), the daughter Glory I would have been quite advanced age, by the time she decided to marry (again I suppose on rebound).
With these two histories well explained, I doubt that Glory III would fall for Corrigan III, but she fell like nine-pins, without any misgivings whatsoever. Of course it isn't still very clear why Corrigan III was virtually rusticated from Academy (when War was till going strong, and they wanted recruits, not lose them), and what was the Dean expected to gain by setting him free ! As far as I know, military academies don't work like that, especially to bring the difficult recruits into line.
When Glory III was offered to become actress, I wonder why she would ask the advice of the, not too dependable teenager, Corrigan III, especially when her mother as well as Grandmother had agreed (another slip- just some time back, they had been clear that they didn't want the heiress to join the profession). The whole thing is full of these slips.
If one wants to make a musical comedy, there shouldn't be a story, or if it is, it should be simple, uncomplicated, just to stitch in the dances and songs. And that's where this one missed, trying to bring in Military, misplaced-patriotism,...
Despite O'Connor, it was difficult to watch it through.
Review of Chip Off the Old Block
